77: Chapter 77 Hunter and Prey

"Hiding his strength? Just based on him?"

He sneered.

"It's nothing more than relying on a bit of luck, picking up a few dead ones."

"A piece of trash with an inferior Spiritual Root, how strong can he be?"

Although he said that, he still felt a bit more vigilant in his heart.

A Qi Refining Level 3 hunting a Yao Beast equivalent to around Qi Refining Level 5 is indeed suspicious.

But so what?

The people he found this time are not ordinary goods.

"Have you contacted the 'Three Heroes of Lanshan'?"

The gray-robed Disciple nodded.

"Contacted."

"All three of them are at Qi Refining Level 5, active in the Qinglan Mountains area all year round, specializing in this kind of 'dirty work'."

"The price has been agreed upon; pay 1,500 Spirit Stones first, and pay another 500 Spirit Stones after the deed is done."

Zhao Yan nodded with satisfaction.

Two thousand Spirit Stones to buy Li Changsheng's life is worth it.

"Tell them, I want to see the person if alive, or see the corpse if dead."

He paused, a flash of ruthlessness appearing in his eyes.

"Preferably a corpse, to save trouble."

"Yes."

After the gray-robed Disciple retreated, Zhao Yan turned and looked out the window.

In the distance, the direction of the Hundred Herb Garden appeared exceptionally tranquil under the sunlight.

He could almost see the gray-robed youth busy in the fields, could imagine his face that was always calm.

"Li Changsheng,"

He whispered to himself, a ferocious smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Three months, long enough."

"This time, let's see how you hide."

Three days later, in the back mountain.

Li Changsheng, as usual, carried that iron sword on his back and walked along the familiar mountain path into the depths.

The nest of the Crimson Flame Fox is in a deeper area, requiring one to cross two mountain peaks.

Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the leaves, forming mottled light and shadows on the ground.

Occasionally, a few bird calls came from the mountain forest; apart from that, it was completely silent.

He did not walk fast, observing his surroundings as he walked.

He had walked this path no less than ten times.

Every tree, every stone, was as familiar as his own backyard.

But today, he always felt something was wrong.

That feeling was like being watched by someone.

He stopped, pretending to bend down to tie his shoelaces, while his gaze quickly scanned the surroundings.

Nothing unusual.

But he did not relax his vigilance.

Continuing to walk forward, his pace remained unhurried.

But his right hand had already quietly reached for the Talisman in his bosom.

After walking for another stick of incense worth of time, a relatively open forest area appeared ahead.

This was his usual route; after passing through this forest and crossing one more mountain, it would be the activity area of the Crimson Flame Fox.

Just at the moment he stepped into the forest.

Three black shadows lunged out from three directions simultaneously!

One person held a blade, the blade light snow-bright, aiming straight for his heart!

One person used a whip, the long whip like a snake, winding towards his legs!

One person was empty-handed, both palms glowing with an eerie cyan-black color, striking towards his chest!

"Kid, being able to die under the hands of us 'Three Heroes of Lanshan' can be considered a worthy death for you."

That empty-handed person said with a sinister cackle.

Qi Refining Level 5!

Three of them!

Li Changsheng's pupils suddenly constricted!

But in that instant, he did not panic.

Three months of preparation, three months of waiting, at this moment, all turned into instinct!

He shifted his feet, his figure twisting like a spirit ape, narrowly dodging the blade light from behind and the long whip at his feet!

At the same time, his right hand pulled out from his bosom, and a Golden Light Shield Talisman was instantly activated!

Hum!

A layer of pale golden light shield enveloped him, and those cyan-black palms struck the light shield, emitting a muffled sound!

The light shield shook violently but did not shatter!

"Talisman?!"

The Loose Cultivator using palms was both shocked and angry.

"This kid is prepared!"

Li Changsheng did not give them time to react.

The moment the light shield protected his body, his left hand pulled another Thunderstrike Talisman from his bosom, injecting spiritual power into it.

Boom crack!

A dazzling golden lightning bolt shot out from the Talisman, striking straight at the Loose Cultivator using the whip!

That person was greatly alarmed, hurriedly dodging, but was still half a beat slow!

The lightning grazed his shoulder, exploding into a mist of blood!

He let out a miserable scream, the long whip left his hand, and his whole body stumbled backward!

"Third brother!"

The Loose Cultivator holding the blade roared angrily, the blade light rising again, turning into a sky full of blade shadows, covering down towards Li Changsheng!

Li Changsheng did not take it head-on.

His footwork changed, shuttling through the gaps of the blade shadows, like a small boat in raging waves, narrowly dodging every time!

The Loose Cultivator using palms also lunged up again, the cyan-black color of his palms thicker, obviously having activated some kind of sinister Cultivation Technique!

Li Changsheng fought while retreating, calculating rapidly in his mind.

Three at Qi Refining Level 5, fighting head-on would surely lead to defeat.

But he had Talismans, martial arts, and "Green Wood Fist".

Another Thunderstrike Talisman was activated, forcing back the blade-wielding Loose Cultivator!

At the same time, he turned his figure, advancing instead of retreating, closing in on the palm-using Loose Cultivator!

"Seeking death!"

That person was overjoyed, striking out with both palms with full force!

Li Changsheng did not dodge.

He just took a deep breath and threw a punch!

This punch had no frills, just the simplest, most direct punch!

But the moment the punch was thrown, the surrounding air seemed to freeze for an instant.

That was the thirteenth form of "Green Wood Fist", the "Withered Wood Meets Spring" which finds life in death!

Bang!

Fist and palm collided!

With a muffled sound, the face of the palm-using Loose Cultivator instantly turned deathly pale!

He clearly felt that his poison palm power, which he was proud of, was like a clay ox entering the sea.

The palm power seemed to be completely dissolved by the exuberant vitality contained in that punch!

Immediately, a huge force surged over, blasting his whole body flying backward, blood spraying wildly from his mouth!

"Second brother!"

The blade-wielding Loose Cultivator's eyes were splitting, the blade light becoming even more intense!

But Li Changsheng did not give him another chance.

He flashed his figure, closing in on the blade-wielding Loose Cultivator, one punch, two punches, three punches—

The thirteen forms of "Green Wood Fist" poured out like flowing clouds and water!

Every punch carried the brand of a hundred years of combat experience!

Every punch contained the ultimate grasp of "vitality" and "killing intent"!

Every punch made the blade-wielding Loose Cultivator feel despair!

After ten moves, the blade-wielding Loose Cultivator's blade momentum was already chaotic!

After twenty moves, the blade in his hand flew out of his grasp!

Thirty moves.

Li Changsheng threw a punch, hitting his chest, knocking him flying backward.

His body slammed heavily into a tree, causing the old tree, as thick as a person could embrace, to shake violently, emitting an unbearable creaking sound.

As the old tree shook, the blade-wielding Loose Cultivator's body fell limply from the tree, with no more sound.

The forest finally returned to silence.

Li Changsheng stood in place, panting heavily.

His clothes were torn in several places, and there were several wounds on his body, but none were fatal.

He walked up to the three Loose Cultivators and checked them one by one.

The first one, the one using the whip, his shoulder was injured by the Thunderstrike Talisman, and he had already fainted.

The second one, the one using palms, his heart meridians were shattered by that punch, and he was already dead.

The third one, the one holding the blade, his sternum was shattered by his punch, and he was also dead.

Three at Qi Refining Level 5, two dead and one seriously injured.

He looked at his own hands, and a strange feeling surged in his heart.

Not pride, not lingering fear.

But a kind of... relief of finally waiting for it.

Li Changsheng walked up to the person using the whip, opened the insulated water bottle he carried with him, and poured hot water onto his face.

Startled by this hot water, this person actually slowly woke up.

"Who sent you here?"

That person was grimacing in pain from his shoulder injury and did not answer Li Changsheng's question.

"Tell me who sent you here, and perhaps I can leave your corpse intact."

"Don't, think so."

After squeezing out two words from his teeth, he stopped speaking.

"It seems that without using some methods, you won't talk."

Li Changsheng was just preparing to use the ten great tortures he learned in his past life to intimidate him, but as a result, this person's head tilted to the side, and black blood overflowed from the corners of his mouth.

He actually bit through a poison tooth and committed suicide by taking poison!

"Dead just like that?"

Li Changsheng shook his head helplessly.